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UKTV reintroduces parent name on branding

UKTV is reintroducing UKTV branding to its on-air presence and marketing in a bid to strengthen the network and encourage viewers and advertisers to try new channels and shows.

The new UKTV brand logo will appear on idents across the network, in opening and closing credits, in co-branded consumer advertising and in all business-to-business communications and websites.

The changes will be introduced on 26 March and the newly designed UKTV logo will flash at the top right of the screen inside an animated "nebula" after every ad break before the channel logo appears.

Simon Michaelides, director of marketing at UKTV, said the bubble-like animated shape around the logo is called "the nebula", because it represents the cloud of energy and "creative force" that is UKTV.

Michaelides said: "UKTV will remain first and foremost a B2B brand. This is not intended to dilute the strength of the channel brands. People will start to notice the logo and by osmosis they will start to mark the connection.

"In above-the-line marketing, a good parallel is what Unilever does. The UKTV logo will appear at the top right hand side."

UKTV hopes the rebrand will encourage advertisers to buy more cross network campaigns instead of hand picking the channels they have heard of.

Michaelides said: "We talked to [UKTV’s ad sales partner] Channel 4 and advertisers and what was clear was that many advertisers weren’t aware of all our brands and the ones that were did not always know that we were all part of the same network. We’re giving the channel an identity that will allow us to trade as a group of siblings."

UKTV worked with Landor Associates on developing the new identity, Red Bee Media to bring the idea to life on air and Mother London on the off-air marketing material.

The broadcaster started to strip out the name UKTV from its channel brands in 2007 when Dave replaced UKTV G2. The UKTV name was last seen on air in 2008, when Watch rebranded.